"Nightmare?" Mari called out in confusion. A dark aura entered the room, and she heard whisperings... She couldn't understand them, but she knew she needed to follow Nightmare. The world around her began to go silent. She only heard strange noises that were indescribable.
She felt nothing but fear and panic. She chased and found Nightmare huddled in a ball under a large tree. She had never seen this tree before... She had been to this part of the gardens before, and that tree was never there.
She ran to his side but felt something tugging her away. She fell to her knees and felt her mouth being sealed shut. She couldn't scream. It was as if she was tied to the ground. Her eyes widened at the sight.
Nightmare cried as he held a black, rotten apple in his hand. He took a bite out of it and then choked. The choking turned into panting, then into wails of pain. He screamed as a black spike stabbed him right through his head, out of his mouth. Muffled words escaped his mouth before he went limp. "Remember... Who... I... Was."
Suddenly, he began to melt into a puddle of some strange black substance. Mari wanted to scream but felt a pain in her chest when she tried. The puddle slowly began to rise as a creature in the shape of Nightmare arose. He slouched.
As he began to straighten, he opened a single, teal eye that stared directly into Mari's. He was unforgiving. It didn't smile like an evil villain; it frowned- as if sorry. Then the frown became... Disappointed... It was disappointed in Mari... No... It was mad at her.
"You did this." a distorted voice growled. The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. "Mari... Mari... Mari- Mari- MARI- MARI-" whispers of her name surrounded her and became more frantic every time.
Tears fell from her face as the thing walked towards her, a little tune played... Like a music box... Her music box... The one that Nightmare gave her... "Mari~" the creature smiled. This time, it spoke her name in a sadistic way. "Oh, Mari... Mari... Mari...~"
She heard yells and screams from the ballroom as a woman noticed the creature who took Nightmare's form. The creature smiled wider, and a tentacle rushed toward the woman and killed her in seconds. It turned to face the ballroom and sent a flurry of tentacles, destroying everyone in the room.
Mari felt a tentacle wrap around her face and whispered directly behind her ear. "You should close your eyes... You might not want to see this..." It was the same sadistic voice... It almost sounded like Nightmare, but different in a way Mari couldn't place.
She shuddered at the touch and felt herself tremble with fear. She heard swords unsheathing, grunts of those who were killed... Dream... Yelling... Ink ordering commands to Blue... Blue's war cries... And cries of pain... Ink's and Blue's captain ordered them away...
Mari passed out at one point... Or maybe something put her to sleep... All she knew was that she did not dream that night.
~~~
Mari's eyes were shut, but she felt herself wake up. She heard someone baking... And the sounds of the day... A cold towel on her forehead sent shivers down her spine and made her sit up quickly. "DON'T TOUCH ME YOU-"
She realized it was Blue, holding a napkin in his hand, looking quite worried. "I-I'm sorry mistress." She put a hand to her chest and felt her head spin. "What... Where-" she was interrupted by another voice. "You're awake-!"
It was Dream. He looked worried out of his wits. He knelt by her side and held her hand in his. "You must be so scared... You had a fever... Luckily that... Thing... Didn't hurt you..." "Nightmare..." Mari whispered in reply... She then looked down and saw she was in a nightgown. And It wasn't hers.
She blushed deeply. So did Dream. "N-no! I didn't. It was Blue's mother, Raspberry." Raspberry was a female skeleton with soul-hair. Hair that was formed from their soul, only female skeletons had this. Her soul was just as her name described. Raspberry coloured.
Mrs Raspberry smiled widely. "Ah, you are awake, love! You were asleep for so long... I was afraid you wouldn't awaken at all!" She seemed too happy about this... Blue truly was her son.
Blue smiled at his mother, then back at Mari. "My ma baked biscuits last night! It was so good! I wish you could've eaten it too!" Last night? How long was she asleep...? She shook her head. "How long was I gone?" Dream tightened his squeeze. "Six days."
"Six... Days...? What happened to everyone? The castle? Nightmare? Why is nobody telling me? WHY ARE YOU-" Mrs Raspberry rushed over and sat next to her. She hugged her tight, caressing her thumb against her face.
"Do not fear, love. I will tell you everything. Meanwhile... Boys! This includes you Dream! You may be prince, but in this household you are just like everyone else! Go out and collect more logs for the fire, won't you?" Dream nodded, embarrassed at her random outburst of wrath... Maybe she was a little different from Blue...
Blue nodded quickly and pushed Dream and Ink, who was brooding in a corner, out the door whispering harshly, "Trust me. If you disobey, she WILL chase you with a spoon and make your rear-end sore for weeks!"
Mrs Raspberry took hold of Mari's face to look into her eyes. "Nightmare was that creature. He had partaken of the fruit of Good and Evil. It's a tree that grows faster than a hawk diving for its food. It prospers where evil lurks... We suspect that Nightmare's soul became hard when he was stripped of his right to the throne. Nightmare is gone now. And that thing has taken control of his soul..." She got up for a moment to take out a pan filled with small meat pies from the oven and let them cool by the window.
She sat down and began again, holding Mari's hands. "The being gathered followers then destroyed the castle. We suspect the followers to be two of Asher's sons... Dust and Honor... It turns out that Asher was not who everyone thought him to be. He abused his sons and gave Honor a cracked skull! The poor thing... He also changed his name to Horror... I do not know what he gained from doing so, but it's very dreadful... And well... There are two others... A pirate... And someone new... I do not know him at all..."
Mari looked at her feet, processing. Just for more information to enter her mind. "The castle is now in ruins... Hundreds died... Including the King, Queen, the King's court, and the Queen's court." Mari shot upward. "The Queen's court? My mother is in the Queen's court! All of them. Gone?" Mrs Raspberry nodded her head. Slowly. Tears formed in her eyes. "Yes... Indeed..."
Mari sat herself down again and began to sob. Her stomach growled in hunger, and Mrs Raspberry decided they shouldn't spend time crying while the day was young. "Come one, love. Do not cry. The sun is out, and it is a new day. We must feed you. I know you're in pain... But you haven't eaten in a long time. It will help, trust me."
She grabbed a hot meat pie and handed it to Mari. She sank her teeth into it... She devoured it hungrily. That is when Blue, Dream, and Ink returned with three logs each... Well, Blue had five. He couldn't see where he was going, so Ink had to coach him to the front door, where Mrs Raspberry took two logs from him. "Good. The fire is almost out." At this, Blue beamed. "I will be happy to help!" He declared as he placed more logs in the fire.
Mrs Raspberry chuckled. "Oh, Blueberry..." She said to herself. Then she returned to Mari, tearing up again while nibbling at another meat pie. "Oh... Love... I am sorry..." "What about my father? And my home?" She asked tearfully. "Every building near the castle was also destroyed... According to Dream, that might be your household as well. There was also reports of hundreds who died around that area... We don't know exactly who died, so there is still hope on finding your fath-" "No. That man doesn't love me. I will never return to him. And now with mother gone, he might return to his old drinking habits."
At this, Mrs Raspberry also decided it might not be a good idea to return her to her father. "Maybe you should just stay here, dear..." Dream then sighed loudly. "I better go. The new general might have more reports for me." He looked at everyone, then at Mari. Mari could see how tired Dream was... Of course. He is now king... And there is now a war... "Mari... Can you walk with me, just half way? Then you can follow the path back here. I need to talk to you." Mari nodded slowly, wiping some of her tears away.
"What... What do you need? Your Majesty..." She added, unsure of how to refer to him. He smiled. "Just call me Dream. I am still just Dream." Mari bobbed her head solemnly. "Mari... I've been thinking... We are both adults now, and now I have a kingdom to rule... Alone... Mari, will you become Queen and rule by my side?"
Mari stopped in her tracks. She looked him dead in the eyes. "NO!" She screamed. She then covered her mouth with her hands. She shook and stood there looking down at her feet. Dream widened his eye sockets. "Oh." she dared a glance at him. He looked... So broken...
Golden, pure tears dripped from his eyes. He wiped them and stood straighter. "Please forgive my emotional reaction. I... I'll go now." He continued down the forest paths. Why did she react so harshly? What made her...
She knew the answer. She was in love. She could not love another.
"I worship and adore you... You stupid blighter."